I've been covering the transportation industry for 20 years. Past publications include The Charlotte Observer, Miami Herald and Sacramento Bee. I also worked for U.S. Airways, writing internal publications and speeches for the company's executives. I'm a graduate of Wesleyan University and have a master's in journalism from Columbia University. Unlike most bloggers, I don't hate airlines.

The Long Wait For A US Airways App Is Almost Over

A US Airways tail rest on the tarmac near an American Airlines plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Image credit: AFP/Getty Images via @daylife)

US Airways, the only major airline without an app for cell phones, says the days of waiting are almost over.

Spokesman Davien Anderson said the carrier is in the final stage of testing its app and expects to make it available this summer. At one time, the carrier was saying that its app would be available late in 2012.

“We really wanted to get this right,” Anderson said. “We’ve done a lot of testing to be sure that the app provides customers with exactly what they’ve been looking for.” In general, he said, the app will “provide the same functionality as the mobile site we have,” but passengers will benefit from the ease of accessing the app on their mobile phones.

The delay is not related to the pending merger with American. “We are still working as two separate companies,” Anderson said.

In March, US Airways finished last among the five biggest airlines in a survey of customer satisfaction with their mobile apps and Web sites, which was unsurprising since the other four major airlines all have apps. The survey by ForeSee, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based data analytics company, ranked customer satisfaction with mobile apps and Web sites for 25 top travel companies. ForeSee noted that 33% of airline passenger mobile users prefer using an app over using a mobile site.

Airlines were among the earliest companies to enable widespread use of Internet buying. And airline use of mobile technology continues to make gains.

For instance, Toronto-based travel logistics company GuestLogix said it recently signed a deal that will enable inflight purchase of seat upgrades with a handheld device.

On the Delta app, recent additions include the ability for passengers to tell FacebookFacebook friends when they have arrived, The Delta app also lets passengers using an IPad view maps, social networks and Internet content.

The FlyDelta app, first released in September 2010, has been downloaded by more than eight million passengers. American’s mobile app, launched in July 2010, has had more than 8.5 million downloads. So US Airways will have some catching up to do.

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